Katter eyes Mackay votes

KATTER'S Australian Party is looking to contest the Mackay and Whitsunday seats at the State election, earmarking them as electorates that have been "knocked to pieces"; by the State Government.

The party, led by maverick Federal MP Bob Katter, yesterday indicated potential candidates had shown interest in running for both seats.

Any candidate could seriously shake up the Mackay and Whitsunday election race, with a poll indicating nearly one in four Queenslanders would vote for Katter's Australian Party. A Galaxy poll of 800 people showed 23% were "totally likely"; to vote for the party at the election, due early next year.

Mr Katter could very well resonate with a number of voters in the Mackay and Whitsunday electorates given his reputation of standing up for regional Queensland. Katter's Australian Party has indicated it would block a carbon tax and prevent either the Labor or Liberal parties from introducing an emissions trading scheme. The party is also against selling off State assets.

Mr Katter said his party's popularity wasn't surprising and warned those who underestimated its resolve to run a tight campaign did so at their own peril.

"It (the party) is about protecting Australian interests, instead of selling out to overseas companies at the expense of Australian jobs and families,"; he said. A spokesman for Katter's Australian Party said tourism, sugar and government spending were among the key issues the party was likely to target in the Mackay and Whitsunday electorates.

"That whole region has just been knocked to pieces,"; he said.

Meanwhile, the LNP candidates contesting the Mackay and Whitsunday seats are busy campaigning.

LNP candidate for Mackay John Kerslake will today ramp up his election campaign to turn around Labor's 17.3% swing.

LNP candidate for Whitsunday Jason Costigan will hold a series of meet the candidate opportunities from September 19 to 22.

BOB'S WAY WITH WORDS

Has famously claimed there were no homosexuals in North Queensland and vowed to walk backwards from Bourke if there were any

Katter said it was "nigh on impossible"; to send children from his area to boarding schools "unless you're rich or unless you happen to be of Aboriginal descent";

When advocating change to the child support scheme to lessen the financial maintenance obligations for non-custodial parents he said the scheme had an "anti-male bias"; and that "in 90% of cases the bloke has done nothing wrong (and) the woman was at fault";